The June 20-22 weekend was the busiest of the year for the New England ultrarunning calendar with six ultras throughout the region. Still, several New Englanders kept busy taking on challenging courses in other parts of the country. Here in Part I of this week’s roundup we catch up on results from beyond the Northeast, with distances ranging from 46K to 200 miles.

Broken Arrow Skyrace

Snow and lightning in the high country forced an early ending to the ninth annual Broken Arrow Skyrace’s signature 46K race during the June 19-22 weekend in Lake Tahoe, Calif. Of the 553 runners who started the highly technical, high-altitude mountain race, just 163 finished before the race was halted midway through and runners were evacuated off the mountain due to dangerous and deteriorating conditions.

Five New England residents were among those who finished, and one earned a place on the male podium. David Sinclair, 33, of Peru, Vt., finished second overall in 3:54:10, less than four minutes behind overall winner Eli Hemming, 30, of Kremmling, Colo., who finished in 3:50:48. Ryan Becker, 30, of Telluride, Colo., was the final sub-4-hour finisher in 3:59:35 to complete the male podium. Top female Jennifer Lichter, 29, of Missoula, Mont., finished in 4:42:32 and placed 23rd overall.

Joining Sinclair among the New Englanders who finished were Stephen Kerr, 33, of Portland, Maine (46th, 5:08:03); Jessie Diggins, 33, of Wakefield, Mass. (77th, 5:30:10); Colleen Sands, 29, of Rindge, N.H. (88th, 5:39:17); and Mark Ehler, 35, of South Burlington, Vt. (97th, 5:47:33).

Bears Ears Ultra

Two New England residents journeyed through native lands, overcame high altitude, and earned scenic views at the fifth running of the Bears Ears Ultra 50-mile and 50K on Saturday, June 21, in Monticello, Utah. The event took place on the trails of the Abajo Mountains with a high point of nearly 11,000 feet above sea level.

Twenty-nine runners completed the event’s 50-mile race within 15 1/2 hours, including Jeff Miner, 54, of Andover, Mass., who had a strong day of running and placed seventh overall in 11:11:40. Brydon Anderson, 29, of Meridian, Idaho, led all runners in 9:22:32, while Shana Sutherland, 45, of Golden, Colo., finished first in the female field in 11:41:59.

Another 57 runners finished the event’s 50K race within 12 1/2 hours, including one New Englander who placed in the top half of the field. Jenn Brooks, 46, of Gloucester, Mass., finished 24th overall and seventh in the female field in 8:58:54. Sergio Abarca, 34, of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Sarah Bradley, 31, of Albuquerque, N.M., were the top male and female finishers in 6:04:53 and 7:40:43, respectively.

Bighorn 100

Big climbs, tough terrain and a remote course tested the mettle of three New England men who secured hard-earned finishes at the Bighorn Wild and Scenic 100-miler on June 21-22 in Dayton, Wyo. Of the 261 runners who started the race, 207 finished within the 35-hour time limit.

Bertram Johnson, 52, of Burlington, Vt., was the top local performer, placing 38th overall in 27:25:58. Dima Feinhaus, 62, of Waban, Mass., and Ilya Bass, 51, of Weston, Mass., ran together and finished together in 34:49:39, just ahead of the cutoff.

Brett Carlson, 39, of Westminster, Colo., led all runners in 19:25:40, while Nicole Laughton, 38, of Edmond, Okla., set a new female course record with her victory in 21:02:37.

In addition to its signature 100-miler, the event also offered 52-mile and 32-mile ultra races.

Travis Breton was the lone New England resident among the 116 finishers of the 52-mile race. Bretton, 32, of Windsor Locks, Conn., placed 28th in 11:53:01. Charlotte Cadow, 30, of Jackson, Wyo., led all runners in 9:12:51 and top male Trevin Ophus, 35, of Billings, Mont., finished second in 9:31:19.

Three more New Englanders were among the 213 runners who completed the 32-mile race. Patrick Hanley, 43, of Center Barnstead, N.H., placed 64th in 7:13:51, followed by 51-year-old Douglas Averill of Arlington, Mass., who was 77th in 7:24:04. James Hill, 59, of Duxbury, Mass., was 182nd in 10:02:37. Chad Nauman, 37, of Billings, Mont., and Emily Suemitsu, 35, of Bozeman, Mont., were the top male and female finishers in 4:29:02 and 5:55:13, respectively.

San Juan Solstice

Daniel Long earned a tough mountain 50-mile finish at the 30th running of the San Juan Solstice 50-miler on Saturday, June 21, in Lake City, Colo. Long was one of 218 runners who completed the loop course through the San Juan Mountains and its nearly 13,000 feet of climbing within 16 hours.

Long, 37, of Waterbury Center, Vt., placed 174th overall in 14:14:19. Ryan Sullivan, 34, of Grand Junction, Colo., and Becca Bramley, 29, of Durango, Colo., finished first in the male and female fields in 8:12:05 and 9:46:16 respectively.

Flagstaff Extreme Big Pine

A trio of New England residents were among the finishers of the 11th edition of the Flagstaff Extreme Big Pine 50K on Saturday, June 21, in Flagstaff, Ariz. The event used a 13K loop course that runners had to complete four times for an ultra finish. High-altitude had to be overcome as the course took runners to points above 7,000 feet and offered panoramic mountain views as a reward for the effort.

Nicolas Cornell, Miranda Livingston and Mark Solari were among the 105 finishers within nine hours. Cornell, 43, of Harpswell, Maine, placed 47th in 5:32:43. Livingston, 25, of Simsbury, Conn., was 58th in 6:50:27, and Solari, 38, of Durham, N.H., finished 83rd in 7:44:02.

Trueheart Brown, 45, of Flagstaff, Ariz., and Natalie Sandoval, 32, of Phoenix, Ariz., finished 1-5 overall and first in the male and female fields in 3:32:18 and 4:12:56, respectively.

Alpine Solstice

The inaugural Alpine Solstice 55K had to adjust its course due to snow on Saturday, June 21, in Bend, Ore. The result was a shorter 50K distance with 3,200 feet of climbing. Two residents of Scituate, Mass., weren’t deterred by the change and still earned their first ultramarathon finishes. Matt Contorchick, 47, and Cat Sullivan, 45, both completed the race, with Contorchick placing 16th overall in 4:54:15 and Sullivan 57th in 6:39:15.

Seventy-four runners finished within nine hours. Nick Stice, 23, of Eugene, Ore., led all runners in 3:45:17, while top female Robin Vieira, 32, of Bend, Ore., was fourth overall in 4:08:36.

Dark 2 Dawn Night Trail Races

Liz Burns headed to the Midwest for her latest ultramarathon finish. Burns, 32, of Groton, Conn., was the lone New England resident at the ninth edition of the Dark 2 Dawn Night Trail Races on June 21-22 in Foristell, Mo. The event offered 9-hour and 6-hour ultras on an approximately 6.7-mile loop course, and Burns opted for the longer option.

In a field of 36 participants, Burns finished 10th overall and fourth in the female field with 33.5 miles. Travis Redden, 41, of Highland, Ill., and Mark Sharp, 38, of St. Louis, Mo., led all runners, with 40.2 miles apiece, while top female finishers Kelley McGaughey, 42, of St. Louis, Mo., and Sarah Short, 32, of Marion, Ill., each finished 33.5 miles.

Another 28 runners took part in the 6-hour race, with 28-year-old Allegra Pierce of St. Louis, Mo., and 39-year-old Jacob Garner of Wildwood, Mo., topping the female and male fields with 26.8 miles apiece.

Tahoe 200 Endurance Run

Chase Arsenault earned his first 200-mile finish in 2022 when he completed the Moab 240. After a three-year wait, the 28-year-old from Westerly, R.I., sought out his second 200-miler when he took on the 11th annual Tahoe 200 from June 13-17 in Lake Tahoe, Calif.

Arsenault was one of five New England residents who were among the 167 runners to successfully complete the loop around Lake Tahoe and its nearly 37,000 feet of climbing within 105 hours. He was also the fastest from the region, placing 34th overall in 78:27:51.

Kilian Korth, 29, of Grand Junction, Colo., won the race by more than 3 hours in 52:40:52. Top female Annie Hughes, 27, of Buena Vista, Colo., finished fourth overall in 61:45:42.

While Arsenault was a 200-mile veteran, the other four New Englanders who finished were first-timers at the 200-mile distance. Michael willey, 41, of Fairfax, Vt., placed 62nd overall in 85:51:52. Jonathan Lagoa, 41, of Fairhaven, Mass., was 87th in 91:20:02. Additionally, Cody McNeil, 32, of Hinesburg, Vt., placed 102nd in 94:23:34 while 42-year-old Trevor Meinke of Derby, Conn., followed 13 minutes later in 108th place in 94:36:59.

*Editor’s Note: Results are found on a variety of sites, including ultrasignup.com, UltraRunning Magazine, and official race websites. We do the best we can to find as many results as possible to report on and recognize the local ultrarunning community.